AMPHIOXUS

lancelet, amphioxus

(noun) small translucent lancet-shaped burrowing marine animal; primitive forerunner of the vertebrates

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Noun

amphioxus (plural amphioxi or amphioxuses)

The lancelet, particularly of the genus Branchiostoma.

Source: Wiktionary


Am`phi*ox"us, n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)

Definition: A fishlike creature (Amphioxus lanceolatus), two or three inches long, found in temperature seas; -- also called the lancelet. Its body is pointed at both ends. It is the lowest and most generalized of the vertebrates, having neither brain, skull, vertebræ, nor red blood. It forms the type of the group Acrania, Leptocardia, etc.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

6 November 2024

SEARCHINGLY

(adverb) in a searching manner; “‘Are you really happy with him,’ asked her mother, gazing at Vera searchingly”


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Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

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